Self-consistent method for determining vertical profiles of aerosol and atmospheric properties using a high spectral resolution Rayleigh- Mie lidar

Abstract

Assumed are a known air pressure at a reference height, hydrostatic equilibrium, the ideal gas law, and the theoretical temperature and pressure dependence of Rayleigh-Brillouin line shapes. For measurements over several kilometers, variations in the atmospheric pressure must be included in the data analysis. The inversion of the signal is greatly facilitated by making a quadratic expansion of the line shape as a function of atmospheric temperature and pressure that is accurate for temperature ranges of ±30 K and pressure ranges of ±25 kPa around a standard temperature and pressure of 275 K and 76 kPa, respectively. Required measurements are the total lidar signal and signals coresponding to different portions of molecular scattering spectrum. -from Authors